Apple.com blocked in China?

MacRumors · May 17, 2004, 11:31 AM

According to one report, Apple.com appears to be blocked in China and has been for the past 3 weeks.

BakedBeans · May 17, 2004, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macrumors

According to one report, Apple.com appears to be blocked in China and has been for the past 3 weeks.

Any Reason??

Digital Hybrid · 11:46 AM

Why would China want to block apple.com?
It would have made sense if it was North Korea who was blocking, but China? China is one of the most "western" asian countries.

Wonder Boy · May 17, 2004, 11:48 AM

could it be technical issue as opposed to a economic/political? im going to go with technical. it doesnt make much sense otherwise.

ingenious · May 17, 2004, 11:48 AM

maybe M$ has a deal with China. Maybe They're going to start a worldwide revolt against the United States!

LOL

ne way

it must be a glitch or the great firewall of china has something to do with it.

Digital Hybrid · May 17, 2004, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calebj14

it must be a glitch or the great firewall of china has something to do with it.

Which has lasted for three weeks? Don't think so.

hedgecore · May 17, 2004, 11:53 AM

they are deffinately thinking more freely every day, but maybe the govt doesn't think that they are ready to "think different"...

haha

ingenious · May 17, 2004, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Digital Hybrid

Which has lasted for three weeks? Don't think so.

then what about the Great FireWall of China?

AmigoMac · May 17, 2004, 11:54 AM

for the people there, attached to a PC for ever

, Maybe it's because they are going to start soon a Linux project and don't want people to know about other OSes

, or is it because lot of apple products are assembled in Taiwan?, Unlikely but sometimes someone has to give the stupid reasons and wait goos reasons from the next people...

Digital Hybrid · May 17, 2004, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calebj14

then what about the Great FireWall of China?

May be. But the "why" still remains

JeffTL · May 17, 2004, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmigoMac

or is it because lot of apple products are assembled in Taiwan?

Well, Apple uses fabrication plants in Communist China as well, if I recall, so that seems unlikely.

Mr. Anderson · May 17, 2004, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macrumors

According to one report, Apple.com appears to be blocked in China and has been for the past 3 weeks.

very strange - but where's the link to the *report*?

D

junior · May 17, 2004, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Anderson

very strange - but where's the link to the *report*?

D

maybe it's just one user having a specific problem with a provider? I had that problem once.

mrsebastian · May 17, 2004, 12:14 PM

m$ is buying china?!

Demon · May 17, 2004, 12:29 PM

strange... because technically, i am living in China...
but i go to www.apple.com... daily, almost religiously! haha. don't seem to have a problem.
but i don't know, maybe it's just me?

paulbarton · May 17, 2004, 12:43 PM

"Maybe They're going to start a worldwide revolt against the United States!"

LOL

"START"!!! ? ... you're joking right?

Digital Hybrid · May 17, 2004, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon

strange... because technically, i am living in China...
but i go to www.apple.com... daily, almost religiously! haha. don't seem to have a problem.
but i don't know, maybe it's just me?

may just be certain regions in China that are having problems then.

wdlove · May 17, 2004, 12:52 PM

This story is sounding better. Just hope that the glitch will be corrected soon!

qubex · 01:36 PM

I live in China and I can confirm that Apple.com has been blocked for the past three weeks or so.

This is not unusual - they were blocked for a long time during November, too.

It isn't a glitch - there is definitely some form of logic to what sites are blocked, though it is often haphazard. For example, cnn.com has always been available since I arrived in China back in November, but news.bbc.com has always been blocked. However, it doesn't really affect me because:

(1) I get all my Apple news here.
(2) All the "collateral" Apple webservers - AppleDeveloperConnection and .Mac operate fine.
(3) Softwareupdate works fine.
(4) If push comes to shove, there are always proxy servers...

Actually I'm relieved to see this report - sometimes I'm not sure whether it's problems with my internet connection (and/or DNS server) or Chinese "Great Bamboo Firewall of China" policy decisions. The former is easier to overcome (fix it), but it also requires activity on my part.

Oh well.

ryanw · May 17, 2004, 01:39 PM

Well, I know there are ways to work around the "great firewall of china", but the biggest problem with blocking apple.com isn't getting just the "apple news". It's if you ARE running OSX and wanted to do software updates n' stuff, you'd be unable to patch your system with security updates or software updates.

dizastor · 01:45 PM

I just found out there actually is a "Great firewall of china"... I'm so disappointed that it wasn't just a joke.

qubex · May 17, 2004, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanw

if you ARE running OSX and wanted to do software updates n' stuff, you'd be unable to patch your system with security updates or software updates.

It is www.apple.com that is blocked. As I mentioned, softwareupdate and .mac work fine in China. I live here. I should know.

qubex · May 17, 2004, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qubex

It is www.apple.com that is blocked. As I mentioned, softwareupdate and .mac work fine in China. I live here. I should know.

My guess - and mind you it is only a guess - is they don't want people to find out about Final Cut Pro HD, or Motion. The authorities here seem to be very sensitive about anything that can be used for the purposes of creating good-level content.

Probably once those products are gone from the mainpage (are they still there?) the site will be re-enabled.

Incidentally could one of you be so kind as to post a screenshot of the Apple website as it currently stands? That would be very useful for the purposes of "differential censoranaylis".

junior · May 17, 2004, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qubex

My guess - and mind you it is only a guess - is they don't want people to find out about Final Cut Pro HD, or Motion. The authorities here seem to be very sensitive about anything that can be used for the purposes of creating good-level content.

Probably once those products are gone from the mainpage (are they still there?) the site will be re-enabled.

Incidentally could one of you be so kind as to post a screenshot of the Apple website as it currently stands? That would be very useful for the purposes of "differential censoranaylis".

[

I don't understand... How are TV ads, programs and movies edited if they don't use stuff like finalcut, avid or inferno?
I worked with a production company from China last year for an ad they were making for China and the producer had a powerbook with Final Cut on it.
Why would the government hide what is already known and used by people?

qubex · May 17, 2004, 02:15 PM

The difference lies between "people", as a potentially subversive rabble, and "the producer", who is supposedly "authorised" (business licences etc.) to peddle his trade.

But it's only a guess. Once one of the border guards asked me if my "Apple computer" had "Movie" on it. In the end I had to trash iMovie. But no panic - iLife '04 CD in my backpack.

After you live here for a while, you tend to realise certain things are impossible to decypher. You just accept, move on, and wait for them to change - because they usually do... in unpredictable directions.

May 17, 2004, 11:31 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Apple.com blocked in China? According to one report, Apple.com appears to be blocked in China and has been for the past 3 weeks.

May 17, 2004, 11:40 AM	#3
Digital Hybrid macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In thy closeth	Why would China want to block apple.com? It would have made sense if it was North Korea who was blocking, but China? China is one of the most "western" asian countries. __________________ Eggiweggs... I would like to smash them! Last edited by Digital Hybrid : May 17, 2004 at 11:46 AM. Reason: typos

May 17, 2004, 11:48 AM	#4
Wonder Boy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: South Windsor, CT	could it be technical issue as opposed to a economic/political? im going to go with technical. it doesnt make much sense otherwise. __________________ girls are pretty.

May 17, 2004, 11:48 AM	#5
ingenious macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Kansas, United States	maybe M$ has a deal with China. Maybe They're going to start a worldwide revolt against the United States! LOL ne way it must be a glitch or the great firewall of china has something to do with it. __________________ Unibody 15.4" MacBook Pro 2.8 GHz, 4 GB RAM 20" iMac G5 2 GHz, 2 GB RAM 1G iPod touch 32 GB, OS 3 blog \| Twitter \| No tea for me.

May 17, 2004, 11:53 AM	#7
hedgecore macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2004	think different they are deffinately thinking more freely every day, but maybe the govt doesn't think that they are ready to "think different"... haha

May 17, 2004, 11:54 AM	#9
AmigoMac macrumors 68020 Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: l'Allemagne	That's bad... for the people there, attached to a PC for ever , Maybe it's because they are going to start soon a Linux project and don't want people to know about other OSes , or is it because lot of apple products are assembled in Taiwan?, Unlikely but sometimes someone has to give the stupid reasons and wait goos reasons from the next people...

May 17, 2004, 12:14 PM	#14
mrsebastian macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: sunny san diego	m$ is buying china?! __________________ [ding]

May 17, 2004, 12:29 PM	#15
Demon macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: on earth	strange... because technically, i am living in China... but i go to www.apple.com... daily, almost religiously! haha. don't seem to have a problem. but i don't know, maybe it's just me? __________________ Apple user since 1984, Apple IIe clone

May 17, 2004, 12:43 PM	#16
paulbarton macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2004	revolting "Maybe They're going to start a worldwide revolt against the United States!" LOL "START"!!! ? ... you're joking right?

May 17, 2004, 12:52 PM	#18
wdlove macrumors 604 Join Date: Oct 2002	This story is sounding better. Just hope that the glitch will be corrected soon! __________________ First MacRumors "Contributor"

May 17, 2004, 01:33 PM	#19
qubex macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2004 Location: 045°042'21.99"N, 009°005'056.57"E	I live in China and I can confirm that Apple.com has been blocked for the past three weeks or so. This is not unusual - they were blocked for a long time during November, too. It isn't a glitch - there is definitely some form of logic to what sites are blocked, though it is often haphazard. For example, cnn.com has always been available since I arrived in China back in November, but news.bbc.com has always been blocked. However, it doesn't really affect me because: (1) I get all my Apple news here. (2) All the "collateral" Apple webservers - AppleDeveloperConnection and .Mac operate fine. (3) Softwareupdate works fine. (4) If push comes to shove, there are always proxy servers... Actually I'm relieved to see this report - sometimes I'm not sure whether it's problems with my internet connection (and/or DNS server) or Chinese "Great Bamboo Firewall of China" policy decisions. The former is easier to overcome (fix it), but it also requires activity on my part. Oh well. __________________ Place me in the company of those who seek Truth, but deliver me from those who believe to have found it. Last edited by qubex : May 17, 2004 at 01:36 PM.

May 17, 2004, 01:39 PM	#20
ryanw macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003	Well, I know there are ways to work around the "great firewall of china", but the biggest problem with blocking apple.com isn't getting just the "apple news". It's if you ARE running OSX and wanted to do software updates n' stuff, you'd be unable to patch your system with security updates or software updates.

May 17, 2004, 01:43 PM	#21
dizastor macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Los Angeles	I just found out there actually is a "Great firewall of china"... I'm so disappointed that it wasn't just a joke. __________________ ejc on Twitter Last edited by dizastor : May 17, 2004 at 01:45 PM.

May 17, 2004, 02:15 PM	#25
qubex macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2004 Location: 045°042'21.99"N, 009°005'056.57"E	The difference lies between "people", as a potentially subversive rabble, and "the producer", who is supposedly "authorised" (business licences etc.) to peddle his trade. But it's only a guess. Once one of the border guards asked me if my "Apple computer" had "Movie" on it. In the end I had to trash iMovie. But no panic - iLife '04 CD in my backpack. After you live here for a while, you tend to realise certain things are impossible to decypher. You just accept, move on, and wait for them to change - because they usually do... in unpredictable directions. __________________ Place me in the company of those who seek Truth, but deliver me from those who believe to have found it.

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